Diebold Going After Whistle Blower Who Revealed Their Use Of Uncertified Voting

Here Come The MySpace Rip-Offs

from the there's-a-kitt-joke-in-here-somewhere dept

Mon, Feb 27th 2006 12:05pm — Carlo Longino

All these social-networking sites are slightly incestuous, and they all tend to evolve in the same general direction, adding the same features and thriving, then suffering from their faddish natures. MySpace is but the latest example, propelled to the forefront by a big-name, big-bucks acquisition and a rash of publicity. Now, if it didn't already look like there was a social-networking bubble, here come the MySpace copycats. First out of the blocks is "CarSpace.com", a site from a well-know automobile content provider for people to -- you guessed it -- get all revved up about cars. It features all the features you'd expect on a site like MySpace, but geared towards letting people make car friends. While the company says it's getting a lot of interest from advertisers, basing any strategy on the success of MySpace might be misguided. We've wondered before why, with MySpace's supposed huge amounts of traffic, its ad revenues were so low, and plenty of questions are being asked about how popular MySpace really is. There's little doubt that it's a hit with young people, but so have plenty of other things before, and plenty of social-networking sites. Some people just need to keep in mind that riding a fad doesn't equal building a sustainable, long-term business.

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38 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 27 Feb 2006 @ 1:18pm

No Subject Given
myspace sucks, why would anyone want to copy it? facebook.com is much better and not sketchy.
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- Chris, 27 Feb 2006 @ 1:32pm
  
  Re: No Subject Given
  How exactly is MySpace "Sketchy"?
  
  I love your types. You come out, plug a service you like, and leave a small dig on the service you don't like. You have NO IDEA WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE EVEN, but that doesn't keep you from running your mouth. No, you need an outlet, especially after getting picked on in school and ignored by your parents, the last thing you have is comming here so make a blurb about an online social website?
  
  At least have the balls to explain why a site is "Sketchy", or shut up.
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  - Bev, 27 Feb 2006 @ 1:40pm
    
    Re: No Subject Given
    All that and your here making the comment. Guess there was something about their "blurb" that made you want to comment.
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  - I hate Chris, 27 Feb 2006 @ 1:50pm
    
    Sketchy
    MySpace is sketchy because, all of this information these kids are posting on myspace could potentially be used against them later on. Imagine interviewing for a job and being handed a printout of a cached version of your myspace page, "man remember that weekend we did a mountain of blow, and those four prostitutes in amsterdam..." Try explaining that one to a potential employer.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 27 Feb 2006 @ 1:59pm
    
    Re: No Subject Given
    As a fleeting MySpace user, I'd say the service is shaky for a lot of reasons. Foremost is the poorly slopped together mess of HTML under the page (complete with TWO sets of <BODY> tags). Because the HTML is so haphazard, users are forced to "customize" their layouts by pasting blobs of CSS into text boxes meant for displaying lists, and because so many people have "customized" their page like this MySpace dare not fix the code...code which is not standards compliant and shouldn't even render correctly in most browsers. And as long as CSS hacks are unfettered, it's easy to Position an image over any ads...not exactly a good way to attract ad revenue.
    IMHO, MySpace is a piece-meal contraption of hacks and patches that might hold together for years, but could easily fall apart at any moment. Shaky indeed.
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  - bearman, 27 Feb 2006 @ 7:10pm
    
    Re: No Subject Given
    it is very sketchy! My kid WAS on it al the time and basically it is a porno site for losers.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 27 Feb 2006 @ 7:45pm
      
      Re: No Subject Given
      porn?
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- Anonymous Coward, 11 May 2006 @ 1:00pm
  
  Re: No Subject Given
  how is facebook better? there is so much more u can do on myspace and way more people u can be friends with.
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- katie, 17 Jul 2006 @ 3:00pm
  
  Re: No Subject Given
  myspace is awesome whats wrong with you
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Feb 2006 @ 1:29pm

No Subject Given
No one I know has ever clicked on an advertisment on MySpace; that's not what people are there for. I doubt anyone pays attention to them.

Myself, I use AdBlock. 3
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Flux Amm, 27 Feb 2006 @ 1:31pm

MySpace Ads
The more desperately MySpace tries to push ads at users, the more we use blockers: Proxomitron and Mozilla-related extensions like AdBlock Plus and Remove It Permanently. Recognize that MySpace HS and college kids tend to be brighter than their parents! Those who aren't savvy enough to filter ads give up -- as happened years back with the then-leader, AsianAvenue.
In fact, I notice slowing traffic in many MySpace forums. Likely, people just check in for messages but don't spend much time. The users' pages are dog's dinner assemblages of video, Flash and music that cannot compare with the good looks and design of fully AJAXed Web 2.0 sites.
And, just maybe, all the coverage is turning off teens who want to be in on something that their elders don't know about.
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- Chris's against Chris, 27 Feb 2006 @ 2:06pm
  
  Re: MySpace Ads
  The ad revenue is probably so low because it HAS to be. Where do you think all those free iPods come from, the iPod fairy?
  Sketchy: Any site that generates revenue from "slap the monkey with a wet trout to win a free iPod" or "you are the 5 gazillionth visitor today" ads is inherantly sketchy by association.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Feb 2006 @ 1:41pm

No Subject Given
MySpace ad revenues are low for a reason abvious to anybody who has advertized on the site: the results are poor and click-through rates low. Why, I can only speculate.
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TriZz, 27 Feb 2006 @ 2:10pm

No Subject Given
Actually, myspace is getting tricky. I had a code to block the ads on my page. Checked the code the other day, and the code was replaced with by a string of "DONOTBLOCKOURADS" repeated like 6 times.

Myspace is alright, but just like any semi-successful idea, others think they can do it better and fail miserably. Welcome to human nature.
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Angel, 27 Feb 2006 @ 2:18pm

Why myspace ads aren't effective
Kids and teenagers aren't the main audience who spends money online. Even teenagers who do look up things to buy online usually end up buying them in real life, not online. And most of us don't click ads anyway. A lot of us even have the ads blocked. Then there's the people covering the ads in their profiles.

I have a prediction that by the time the current generation of teenagers grows up, internet advertising will fail horribly.
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- Anonymous Coward, 27 Feb 2006 @ 2:37pm
  
  Re: Why myspace ads aren't effective
  MySpace is for donkeys, end of story.
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  - honest, 27 Feb 2006 @ 5:01pm
    
    Re: Myspace vs Facebook
    Myspace has more creepy people, but people share less real information(aka first and last names) while facebook has real information, and creates an illusion of additional security.
    Facebook has a very shady privacy policy...
    Anyone that uses facebook should actually look at the privacy statment...
    "Facebook may also collect information about you from other sources, such as newspapers, blogs, instant messaging services, and other users of the Facebook service through the operation of the service (e.g., photo tags) in order to provide you with more useful information and a more personalized experience. "
    and
    "We may use information about you that we collect from other sources, including but not limited to newspapers and Internet sources such as blogs, instant messaging services and other users of Facebook, to supplement your profile."
    and
    "This may include sharing information with other companies, lawyers, agents or government agencies."
    and my final point is that you cannot delete your facebook crap... you can only deactivate it!
    "Individuals who wish to deactivate their Facebook account may do so on the My Privacy page. Removed information may persist in backup copies for a reasonable period of time but will not be generally available to members of Facebook."
    
    Myspace tends to have a less shady privacy policy.
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Nathan Mallamace, 27 Feb 2006 @ 5:29pm

Thank God for MySpace.
Just like everything, moderation is best and the same goes for MySpace. MySpace provides a venue for people to express themselves... while there are a lot of creepy people out there you will most likely find them on MySpace too.
However, there is a lot of censoring of information on the internet. Try searching for certain objectionable words on Google. For example, "Google said Tuesday it will launch versions of its search and news Web sites in China that censor material deemed objectionable to authorities there"
MySpace allows people to freely express themselves, GOOD & BAD.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Feb 2006 @ 5:37pm

No Subject Given
MySpace is eBay for pedophiles.

[pedo] What's the current bid on a 16-year old girl with self-image issues?
[myspace] Current bid on that is a six-pack of beer and a willingness to use emoticons in your text message.
[pedo] Hell! For that price I'll take two!
[myspace] No problem, sir, we've got about 1 million of them right here. Browse through these photos and place your bid.
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The Internet, 27 Feb 2006 @ 5:51pm

No Subject Given
Hello. I am the internet. I do not approve of MySpace because of the people it brings together. I feel that it brings together intellectual, while intelligent people, but for the most part, bring together people who are otherwise incapable of getting anything useful out of me.

Please, help me. Together, we can get these people off of me and back where they belong: In the high school lunch room.

Thank you.

-The internet
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Feb 2006 @ 6:11pm

The downfall of "social networking sites"
IMO, all these Myspace ripoffs will be the downfall of social networking sites - in a year or 2, there'll be so many up

1) nobody will be able to decide which one to pick

2) the whole idea of myspace will have become so cliche major corporate support will drop like a rock - the world only needs so many cheap ass imitations (in myspaces case, I think theres no need for the original even) - think of it as if 30 some different copies of eBay or a portal like ya popped up a year after the original - people would (hopefully) realize just how shitty the whole idea was in the first place...
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- weee, 27 Feb 2006 @ 6:50pm
  
  Re: The downfall of
  Myspace is a site that lets you try and create your own personal world online, facebook just let's you find basic info about people which cuts down on the whiny emo kids and underage cam whores. To a degree. As least the girls on facebook are legal
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - jdragon, 27 Feb 2006 @ 7:00pm
    
    Re: The downfall of
    Myspace needs to do a better job with their marketing strategy. Maybe sell movie tickets. Also, speed up their freaking pages. The website is soooo slow!
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extremebigdog, 28 Feb 2006 @ 10:23am

I actually like carspace
I might be going out on a limb here but I actually like carspace. Its pretty cool to look at other peoples cars, but then I really like cars. I don't really care to read about someones weekend party experiences but to see lots of pictures of rare and interesting cars is pretty interesting. So, what do you drive? I'm genuinely curious and I want to see, so if your at all interested in showing it off add me to your friends list in carspace and tell me when your gallery is ready.
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- jdragon, 7 Mar 2006 @ 1:38am
  
  Re: I actually like carspace
  Uh, you might be pumping your very own website. Frankly, I like my car, but not to the extent of drooling and putting pictures of it like its my girlfriend or something of that obsessive nature.
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Designer, 12 Mar 2006 @ 8:47pm

Good god.
MySpace is great for someone attempting to learn the basics of CSS. Who cares about their Ad revenues. It's a good place for a lot of kids to keep in touch. Do you have ANY idea how many successful relationships begin online? I'll bet you don't. MySpace does serve a purpose. So what? It's a little creepy. NEWSFLASH! THE INTERNET IS CREEPY/SHADY/WHATEVER!!!!! Get used to it.
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i agree with designer, 15 Mar 2006 @ 9:16pm

re: good God.
he or she is right. the whole internet is shady. if you like myspace, use it. its up to you waht you share. and you can make your profile so people not on your friends list cant see it. duh.
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Sarah, 28 Mar 2006 @ 8:27pm

Faddish
It is doomed, just like friendster was. Actually Friendster should probably change their name and start over so that they could be the next fad when facebook and myspace die. Unless Orkut and 360 catch on.
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Hannah Montana, 4 Sep 2006 @ 2:15pm

Okay I agree.

WE ALL LIKE DIFFERENT FRIGGNEN WEBSITES!

We all have our own opinions.

I personally like myspace. And YES You HAVE A CHOICE TO DISPLAY YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION!
Plus u can also just not say anything and all and be smart and make your profile private and not add anyone u dont know.

DUH!
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you're the 2nd, 1 Oct 2006 @ 4:12pm

get real or get informed
You are the 2nd narrow-minded person I have seen that says Myspace is for young people.. or in your words is a hit with young people.. Unless you are 65+ , I do not see your point of view,, nor does anyone else "in general tho.. I did "EXTENSIVE" search and have found that many many people in their mid 20's to early 40's have a myspace.. Again.. I said "Extensive" I do not get deeply into myspace altho i do have a page. I less than 3 months over 50 people have added me as a friend of which 90% of the people there are all near 30 years old or older.. And again as I said.. I dont really care for myspace. -YES it is true it is a hit with young people.. But then again.. If it is a hit with all ages that would include young people as you put it.. Duh? I dont care *if* 70% of the people on myspace are under 20.. IF they are.. the truth is with millions of users.. That still leaves a crap load of adults that use it. Myspace is great because you can find people with your same interest and age group as well as people near your local area.. You can post things of interest about yourself you wish to share.. and the details go on and on.. other simular sites do the same as well as some of the I.M. programs profiles like yahoo.. But they just dont have the same "umf" that myspace has.. 2 friends of over 15 years ago that i had lost contact with found me with myspace.. The only complaint i have about myspace is the interface is still weak and "dinky" and a bit too unprofessional looking.. "sloppy like"
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- Anonymous Coward, 1 Oct 2006 @ 4:29pm
  
  Re: get real or get informed
  yes.. it is very crappy and unprofessional looking.. Sloppy as well. And ANYONE that puts their real "last name" or city they live in. zipcode... of phone number or their "isp" email address is a damned fool.. If you wish to post an email address to be contacted by you should a secondary email address like hotmail, yahoo.. or some other of the same like. If you use AOL, Comcast.. Earthlink or any other as your internet provider never give out your email address assigned from your internet provider. Very skillful people can find out your full real name and/or the city you live in from your ISP Email address.. Usually if they only know the state or regious, ect you live in it is safe.. A 1st name only is usually safe.. But home town, last name, Zip code. phone number. ISP assinghed email address ect can be used to trace you down. And with sites like google and yahoo maps someone can even get a detail map with driving instructions to your home.. Yes,, anyone that leave detailed info like last names and cities on sites like Myspace are asking for some psycho stalker to hunt you down.. I know it can be done because I've worked for isps and am a computer engineer and secruity tech. From being so I have learned how to do it in many cases.. Many people would be really suprised just how easy it is. I only wish more people would complain to their isp's if their host address "dns resolved ip address" has the city name on it.. Mine used to untill I complained and they changed mine.. It is quite easy to get someones ip address from IM's , emails,, and other chatting/communication software programs.. A simple method as easy as leaving off the city name from the host address would resolve this issue as well.
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anonymous coward, 1 Oct 2006 @ 4:34pm

not!
no,, not a cowards, just a lazy ba$tard.. too lazy to fill in all the fields on this form
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Miesha, 10 Nov 2006 @ 7:36am

R.I.P Boo- Boo
''Soldiers Don't Die, They Just Rest In Peace''
Luv you always and forever Boo Boo
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- STEPHANIE, 24 Jan 2007 @ 6:42pm
  
  Re: R.I.P Boo- Boo
  BOO BOO YOUR GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN YOU WILL ALL WAYS BE LOVED
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mozey, 19 Nov 2006 @ 9:29am

F*** facebook.com
facebook.com!, are you serious!?!?!?!?!?!?!?. so how many users you have? 3?
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jerseygirl, 26 Dec 2006 @ 7:47pm

let's face it here people , anything in life sucks if you use it to much .. i am and have been a loyal myspace user for almost a yr now and i have met and became close friends with several people from my friends list . it is a place where people can express there talants weather it be in music comedy or art. itis a place for exposure granted some of it is not in good taste. i feel it is up to the individual how they handle themselves on this or any site . we do have the option to accept or deny any friend request that are presented to us . so wake up and smell the coffee here it is a free country !!!
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Boo boo, 29 Aug 2007 @ 11:56am

I'm alive!!!
I'm alive Stephanie and Miesha! How about a threesome?
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Me, 29 Oct 2008 @ 3:15am

Awesome
Short, informative, but most of all the choice of words. Great article. :)
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